Five things I'm looking for in a relationship: Romance; excitement; commitment; trust; and respect.

Five things I'm hoping to avoid: Head-games; walking on eggshells; double standards; mixed messages; and unattainable expectations.

Five things I am grateful for: I have learned from mistakes made earlier in life and know I don't want to repeat them; my two children, three grandchildren and the relationship I have with my family; the ability to love; the health I enjoy; and the knowledge that no matter what the situation I'm facing, there's always a positive side to it.

Five things that make me unhappy: running out of hot water in the middle of a shower; watching a snow plow come down the street and block in the driveway I just shoveled; finding no half and half in the refrig when I'm making my first cup of coffee in the morning; knowing someone I love is going through something that I can't and shouldn't fix; and burning a steak on the grill.

Five things that could really, really make me happy: finding someone who wants to work towards a committed relationship with no thoughts of rushing into cohabitation or the marriage thing in the foreseeable future; finding someone who is as good at listening as in communicating dreams, desires and feelings; someone who enjoys romance and isn't afraid of intimacy; someone who wants to have fun and even enjoys being goofy sometimes; and someone who will make me feel special and who wouldn't mind having that feeling reciprocated.

I love my first, and second, cup of coffee in the morning; love back-rubs, giving and receiving; ice cream, hiking, movies that bring me to tears, looking at the sky at night, roller coasters, fireplaces, water parks, and just looking into the eyes of someone who accepts me for who I am, no more or no less.

Something I've never done for a first date is meet someone at a hole-in-the-wall breakfast joint. That'd probably be a good place to start. People tend to be more open first thing in the morning and if, like me, they love coffee, then they're probably feeling pretty positive as long as the coffee is good. Also, if the conversation goes well and the chemistry is there, the rest of the day is open for whatever the heart desires.